My 2025 Library

By: Gabriela Yareliz

It’s almost time to let go of the year. Before we do, I wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of you for reading, the comments, and engagement this past year. Whether you are new this year to the site or you have been with me for the 16 (yes, crazy, 16) years we have been here– you know one thing– I love to read.

As I have done in the past years, I beat my Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge goal. My goal was smaller, this year– 50 books. I surpassed it. My average book length was 304 pages.

It’s time to set next year’s goal. If you are an avid reader, definitely sign up for the challenge. It sparks joy.

If you need a place to start, here are some of my top picks from my 2025 reading (with one of my highlighted quotes, where applicable):

For Learning About the World (the light side):

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: I loved looking at different industries and how the best become the best. My favorite sections were the discussions on hockey and attorneys.

Quote: “It’s not knowledge for its own sake. It’s knowledge that helps you read situations correctly and get what you want.”

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant: I am a big Adam Grant fan. This is a must-read for those interested in expanding knowledge. For the forever learners.

Quote: “Skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.”

Originals: How Non-Conformists More the World by Adam Grant: Adam Grant strikes again. I am always seeking to learn from the non-conformist.

Quote: “The hallmark of originality is rejecting the default and exploring whether a better option exists.”

For Learning About the World (the dark side):

Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill: Few books have altered the way I see the world as much as this daring journalist’s quest for truth when facts weren’t adding up. It’s a wild ride, and the biggest discoveries are what is left to be read between the lines.

Quote: “I really thought that, with enough tenacity, I could get to the truth under all this.”

My Boss is a Moron by Ben Askins: This was not one of those books that acts like bad management and lack of accountability are all in your head. It’s a practical, respectful and right-on-the-money survival guide. It was written by someone who knows a lot about management and the mediocrity that exists in the workforce.

Quote: “Finally, there’s the top-down issues. Specifically, company leaders and those who are the most senior thinking they can get away with not doing the things that juniors are expected to do.”

Best Biographies and Memoirs:

Govt Cheese by Steven Pressfield: This book is made up of many short, tiny chapters. It is a collection of snapshots of people and many unlikely places along Pressfield’s path to his dreams. I always say people who have held many different types of jobs are the most interesting. Pressfield proves me right.

Quote: “It’ll be hard, but what’s the point of doing anything if you’re not trying to get better?”

Gwyneth by Amy Odell: This was well-researched. It’s a great book to learn more about Gwynnie, but let me tell you– Amy Odell hates her. That is the only unfortunate part of this book. Odell’s hot steaming hate for the Goop founder and CEO bleeds off of every page and tries to stain you. Joke is on her– I am a solid Gwyneth fan. If you are too, you can learn a thing or two while navigating the unadulterated loathing.

Quote: “Love her or hate her, we haven’t been able to look away.” (It is evident Odell is in the “hate her” camp. We love her and Goop, here).

Best in Self-Development:

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster: This was the first book I read by Schuster at the beginning of this year, and I became a full-on fan. I subscribe to her Substack and love that woman. She is so vulnerable and hilarious. You will laugh and also cry. She has that talent. If you know trauma by name and are walking along the healing journey– this one is for you. I know it healed a piece of me.

Quote: “I thought it was my job to fix my parents’ lives, which, even to an eight-year-old, were clearly unraveling.”

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins: I remember I was reading this book with a young colleague, and she stopped reading it halfway through. I finished it. I thought it was profound. The thing is, a lot about setting boundaries and protecting your sanity is elementary in a theoretical sense, but it isn’t at the execution level. Robbins gets this, and vulnerably shares her experiences in life that led her here. There is a lot to learn from this one.

Quote: “The truth is, other people hold no real power over you unless you give it to them.”

The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom: I am always seeking Sahil’s wisdom. His newsletter is one of my favorites. It is one that is always filled with original wisdom, and I never delete it when scanning my inbox to clean it. His first book did not disappoint, and it’s a must-read. Hopefully, there is more coming?

Quote: “Anything asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.“

Best in Adventure:

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard: Roosevelt’s last wild adventure. You’ll feel like you are wandering the Amazon slowly by boat and that death lurks in every corner. A look at one of our greatest Presidents and the grit and courage that made the man.

Quote: “‘I love peace, but it is because I love justice and not because I am afraid of war,’ Roosevelt told the spellbound crowd.”

Best Fiction:

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen: Reading this and then watching the series on Apple TV+ was quite fun. Hiaasen is so Florida. So funny. And so original. Andrew Yancy is the perfect (Florida Man) hero.

Quote: “Deep space was what it seemed like, weightless and slow motion.”

Best Non-Fiction:

How to Break up with Your Phone by Catherine Price: It’s a 30-day detox plan for the person seeking less screen time. We all know it’s next to impossible hard, but that is why we need the tools and data to understand why we need it.

Quote: “The point is also that revolutionary technologies don’t just ‘come along,’ as Jobs put it; they’re designed.”

The Guide to Becoming Alive by Richard Christiansen: This book is magical. It inspires one to dream again. Christiansen, creator of Flamingo Estate, is an artist in every sense of the word.

(I was going to an include a section here called “Not Worth the Hype,” but I decided to keep this positive, so we proceed)–>

Best in Creativity:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: I have had a used version of this book that I have picked up and put down many times over the years. I finally committed to it and read it the whole way through and did the exercises. It works. It’s a book I will read many more times. A book everyone should read because everyone is a creator.

Best in Health:

Your Body Already Knows by Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya: This book on ayurvedic wisdom was enlightening. I adopted some practices from it, and I am better for it.

Quote: “If we spent the same amount of time we spend talking and reading about health in our kitchens actually cooking, we would soon resolve most of our health concerns.”

Best in Self-Discovery:

Glow in the F*cking Dark: Simple Practices to Heal Your Soul by Tara Schuster: My obsession with Tara Schuster continued throughout the year. This was almost like a hilarious, vulnerable manual following her first book. I hope to one day meet her at one of the retreats she hosts.

Quote: “It’s the pressure, the process, all of the bullshit the star has endured, that gives it its resiliency.“

Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection by Tiffany Moon: I don’t think I understood perfectionism until I read this book. Moon’s vulnerability will crack you right open. I read this book early on, and the main thing I remember is I felt seen.

Quote: “If I had my own perfume, I’d call it Responsibility by Tiffany Moon. What does that smell like, you ask? It smells like always paying your bills on time, being everyone’s ‘in case of emergency’ contact, and remembering to bring a fresh stool sample to the dog’s vet appointment.”

Best Cookbook:

Cuentos de Cocina by Mandoka: A cookbook that looks like a fairytale book. It’s gorgeous and creative. A feast.

These are my top picks. I hope you read some and read a bunch in 2026. What were your top reads of 2025? I am always looking for recs.

We continue to inch toward the new year. A whole new chapter, but also, just another day, another week, another month to begin again. My wish for you is what Tara Schuster wrote, “Take whatever weird little opportunity you have and maximize the f*ck out of it.” Do it. Dream, every day. Learn, every day. Act, every day. Do the work, every day. Move, every day. Heal, every day. Shine, every day.